Health - Wellness
The Only 3 Body Parts You Need To Wash
Every Day
By GABRIELLE GAYAGOY GONZALEZ
According to Sandy Skotnicki, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Toronto, focusing on three key "bits" on days you don’t wash from head to toe can prevent problems such as eczema, an itchy inflammation that flares up on the skin. "Bits would be underarms, groin, feet," Skotnicki explains.
Your feet need regular TLC, because they tend to pick up dirt if you're barefoot, and they also are known to accumulate bacteria-breeding moisture when they perspire in socks or shoes — which is why it's important to thoroughly dry them after washing. Meanwhile, your underarms and groin require a daily wash.
However, using soap can throw off the vagina's normal pH and can stimulate the growth of harmful bacteria, so be sure to keep the suds outside of your body. "Never put soap in the vagina," says Tami Rowen, M.D., an ob-gyn at UCSF Medical Center, adding, "It's like washing your mouth out with soap.”